Day 5: A done deal — Sharks get Wallin and 5th round pick from Carolina for San Jose’s second-round pick

Looking for depth on defense with an eye toward the playoffs, Sharks general manager Doug Wilson has picked up veteran blue-liner Niclas Wallin from the Carolina Hurricane.

The Sharks acquired Wallin and Carolina’s fifth-round pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft for a second-round pick in the same draft obtained earlier from the Buffalo Sabres.

“We wanted to add to our team without subtracting,” Wilson said. “We wanted to get the right piece at the right time to be able to integrate and assimilate him into the lineup.”

Wallin, 34, is in the final year of a contract that pays him $1.725 million this season. The deal does not involved a contract extension.

The Hurricane’s fourth round pick in the 2000 entry draft, Wallin has played in 517 NHL games and was a member of the Carolina team that won the Stanley Cup in 2006.

Recognized more for his defensive abilities, he has registered 18 goals and 69 points in 517 NHL games. This year, he has five assists in 47 games.

Reports surfaced two weeks ago that Wallin had been asked to waive the no-trade clause in his contract in order to move from a team out of playoff contention to the Western Conference leader.

Wallin is expected to be in the lineup tomorrow night when the Sharks face the Maple Leafs.

More later.

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.